Daiquiri Cocktail - Small Screen Network The Cocktail Spirit with Robert Hess Daiquiri Cocktail The daiquiri is a historic and iconic cocktail and John F. Kennedy’s favorite cocktail. It’s simplicity disguises what can be a complex and delicious cocktail when made correctly. 2 oz rum Strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with lime wheel. Robert Hess 17 Aug 2007 8:03 am These days it seems like most people think of the Daiquiri as being a “frozen” drink, which is unfortunate. Those drinking it that way are missing out on a great drink, and those who are “wanting” a great drink are avoiding it because they don’t like frozen drinks. You can use the Daiquiri to get a good handle on the whole “balance” thing with the lime juice and the simple syrup. Just play around with the ratios a bit until you feel that it isn’t too sweet or too sour for your palate. One thing I’ve learned is that the sweet/sour balance really does tend to vary from one person to another.

-Robert Bikram 16 Dec 2007 7:59 am Robert, Do you think that the Vodka added to the simple syrup actually makes a difference? The effective concentration of alcohol would be pretty low, and fungi can tolerate reasonably high levels of alcohol since they produce it themselves. You can try a side by side test (with and without the vodka) to test your hypothesis. Robert Hess 18 Dec 2007 12:14 pm I’ve never done a true scientific “side-by-side” test on this, but I have simply noticed that without alcohol, mold. With alcohol, no mold. But you’re right, I should try to get some more data. Would also be good to find out how much alcohol is needed and how long the ‘protection’ lasts (wrt. alcohol evaporation) Jonathan Gorman 25 Dec 2007 12:56 pm Robert, What is the right proportions for simple syrup? I’ve seen 1 pound sugar (about 2 cups) to 1 cup water - and 1 cup sugar to 1 cup water.

Robert Hess 25 Dec 2007 1:54 pm There are essentially two main recipes people tend to use for simple syrup, either a 1 part sugar and 1 part water (by volume), or 2 parts sugar to 1 part water. Obviously the second results in a sweeter syrup, it is often refered to as “rich” simple syrup. Which you choose to use can be a bit of a personal choice. I personally prefer the 2-to-1 version myself. But I have several friends who swear by the 1-to-1 version. -Robert Jonathan Gorman 25 Dec 2007 2:38 pm When you specify simple syrup in your instructions, are you using 1:1 or 2:1? Merry Christmas. Thomas 28 Jan 2008 5:31 pm Robert, I also notice that your syrup is tan. What kind of sugar do you use to make it? And I salute you atop your Soap Box regarding sour mix. Good speech!

Robert Hess 29 Jan 2008 6:19 am We get so much lovely sunshine here in Seattle that lots of things take on that wonderful tan color. Ok, maybe not :-> Actually I used “Demerara” (aka. raw cane) sugar to make my simple syrup for this episode. I find that it has just a little bit of extra character to it. -Robert Owen Webb 29 Jan 2008 12:51 pm I’m a little confused by your comments regarding simply syrup. In the episode you say you use a 1:1 ratio. Here in the comments you say you prefer to use a 2:1 ratio. When you use simply syrup in the episodes, are you giving us the recipe for 1:1 syrup or the richer 2:1 syrup. Thanks, Robert Hess 29 Jan 2008 1:16 pm Owen, Good catch… as I was rattling off at the mouth I should have said “two cups of sugar” instead of one. I personally prefer to use a 2:1 ratio in my syrup.

Which of course raises another issue as to if “you” might happen to prefer the 1:1 ratio, how does that alter your drink? Well as you might expect it won’t be “quite” as sweet, and so you may need to slightly adjust the recipe to your palate, which is part of what makes “mixology” such a fun thing because we are each providing our own slight interpretation of a drink every time we make it. Thomas 2 Feb 2008 8:24 pm I can see the dense Seattle rainforest outside your window there, so I knew you were joking about the sun. I recently tried finely granulated raw sugar in some bar syrup and it turned out kind of greenish. The coarser dememera or turbinado sugar you suggest here creates a better color. And a touch of molasses odor (but not flavor). Thanks for the tips! blair frodelius 8 Mar 2008 11:54 am Robert, Granted, we all should be using fresh squeezed juices and simple syrup when making a daquiri. Have you had any experience with the Freshies brand?

Robert Hess 8 Mar 2008 10:16 pm I’ve never tried Freshies, but I personally can’t imagine any “mix” product being even close to fresh ingredients, except in very few cases and situations. Jon 25 Jul 2008 7:42 pm Robert, I absolutely love your series here. After watching a number of episodes, I decided to come back to this one to ask a question about your simple syrup. Exactly how much vodka do you add to keep it from molding? I’m afraid that I will add too much and have my drinks hint of vodka, or that I will add too little for it to be effective. Robert Hess 26 Jul 2008 5:47 am Jon, To add enough vodka so you could taste the alcohol (since that is of course the only flavor that would come through) you’d have to add quite a bit. I use perhaps one ounce (or perhaps a little more) of vodka per pint of simple syrup. And I use a 151 proof vodka just for good measure. I’ve never tried any exhaustive tests to find out what the best amount to use is, but this appears to work fine for me.

-Robert 9:01 am Robert, I am a bit confused here. On your drinkboy.com site, recipe for daiquiri calls for 1oz lime juice to one teaspoon sugar. In this video you do 1/2 oz lime juice to 3/4 oz (rich?) sugar syrup. Isn`t this too much of a difference? Thanks, Robert Hess 12 Mar 2009 10:22 am Ivana, Great Point! What this shows, is a gradual evolution that each of us will go through on our cocktailian journey. Many of the recipes on my website were ones I put up when I first started the site over 10 years ago.

Over the years, many of my thoughts on what makes a “great” cocktail, and more importantly, a properly “balanced” cocktail, have evolved, and while I mentally make the adjustment when making these cocktails, I haven’t been as dilligent as I could be at making sure that all of the reicpes on my site are evolving along with me… In the past it was very difficult for me to change recipes on my site, since to change just a single page on the site would essentially necessitate an entire day’s worth of work. But with the recent update to DrinkBoy.com, I’ve set it up so I can just make a simple update in the database, and the changes are automatically visible… so if you look now, the recipe has been updated! :-> What I really need to do, is just take the time to go through each recipe, one at a time, and make them as-indicated, and verify that they still reflect what I feel is a well balanced drink. Ivana 12 Mar 2009 11:23 am Thanks for the clarification.

I`ve made 5 daiquiris so far and I can`t make up my mind which one is “properly balanced” for my inexperienced palate :) Good luck on your site updates! Robert Hess 12 Mar 2009 12:51 pm For all cocktails, a key aspect of balance is so that as you are finishing off the drink, you wish the glass were “just a litlte” larger. Sometimes, if a drink is too sweet or too sour, the initial sip can be quite tasty, with your taste buds enjoying that extra little kick of flavor, but by the time you are finishing the drink you are getting a little fatigued from it. That, in my mind, is an unbalanced drink. David B. 5 Jun 2009 11:45 am The Daiquiri has quickly become a favorite when entertaining at my home bar. Recently I’ve started using Key Limes instead of the regular Persian Limes with good success. You have to be careful to not let any of the pith or the seeds make their way into the drink but if you can manage you’ll get a really nice treat.

Alan 27 Jul 2011 3:43 pm I usually drink Havana Club 3yr and have always used that for drinks such as this. Recently I splashed out on Appleton Estate 8yr and my was I overwhelmed. Hugh difference and I struggled with the drink a bit. I’m not sure if a darker and older aged rum such as that is suitable for a drink like this or if I just have to tinker with the ratios to find a suitable one. Robert Hess 28 Jul 2011 6:37 am Havana Club 3 year… don’t rub in in. We can’t (easily) get that here in the US :-> Rum is a facinating topic. There is a far broader landscape in rum “character” then I think in any of the other spirits, so it can often be challenging (and exciting) to see how different rums work in different cocktails. The Daiquiri I think is one of the drinks that benefits from a lighter style rum, but that said, it can also work well with some of the slightly more robust rums, but you’ll want to start flexing the recipe around to make it work properly.

When you find any tried and true recipe of yours that suddenly becomes less palatable due to a change of brand/product, you should start playing around with the ratios of the ingredients to see if you can bring it back into line again. Through experimentations like this you’ll really gain a better understanding of the underlying components. Gaz Regan tells of a time he was at the Ritz in New York, and Norman was bartending. He noticed various customers ordering a Manhattan and specifically calling for a particular whiskey. In each one Norman would use a different amount of vermouth. When asked about it, Norman commented that each whiskey needed a slightly different ratio in order to make it properly balanced. -Robert Alan 28 Jul 2011 8:34 am Thanks for the reply. Yeah I think I’d have to agree that sometimes with a different spirit you need to adjust the ratios. Havana 3yr to Appleton 8yr is quite a leap in flavour. I can happily report that after many years of Barcardi dominating the market Havana Club has now found its way into many bars, off-licenses and supermarkets. It has seemingly succeeded on name alone since there is very little advertising and marketing versus the former’s massive campaigns.

If it is of any consolation, here in Ireland it can be very hard to get good American whiskey - many supermarkets and off-licenses usually only stock Jim Beam or Jack Daniels and if you find Maker’s Mark anywhere it’s usually at least €35! That isn’t to say I can’t get hold of bourbons but the cheapest other than the previously mentioned that I can find is Bulleit which is €30. Tequilla is another spirit that can be hard to come by. I mean, you can of course get Olmeca as well as Jose Cuervo mixtos in many places and unfortunately this is most people’s introduction to tequilla. 100% can be hard to find and when you do find it is quite expensive. See: jellydonut 16 Aug 2011 7:29 am In honor of National Rum Day (even though I’m not American), I made this with; - 1 1/2 oz Ron Cubay 10 Anejo ten year old Cuban rum, very strong flavor - juice of one lime (no, when I’m at home I refuse to measure it and thus throwing away some of the juice of the lime.

:p) - equal part of sweet to sour, in this case I used home-made honey syrup. (simple syrup.. with honey instead of sugar) - The Bitter Truth aromatic bitters, one dash - The Bitter Truth orange bitters.. at least four dashes. I just poured a little. dripdripdrip. You can tell your daiquiri is a classic when it’s *brown* from the aged rum and the honey syrup instead of being fluorescent green from commercial sour mix. ^_^ It’s not a very strong drink, you can see my non-alcoholic ingredients are at least equal to the alcohol. Call me whatever you like, I don’t care. :p I’m not looking to get drunk on a Tuesday so I’ll be making a Rum Old Fashioned later on, to continue celebrating National Rum Day. c: Ben Golden 20 Jul 2012 7:16 pm The use of commercial sour mix is extremely frustrating to me. Whenever I order a drink at a regular old neighborhood restaurant, I usually have to avoid sour style drinks because I know they will be made with sour mix, which makes me feel kind of sick just drinking it.

That’s an incredible shame because sour style drinks are among my favorite kinds, and they tend to go well with meals if properly made, as opposed to dry style French-Italian drinks (e.g. Martinis and Manhattans) which I tolerate best before dinner or well after it, but not during. We’ve seen bans on trans-fat foods, wouldn’t it be fantastic if we could get the same to happen with artificial sour mix? :-D Peter_Timms 2 Aug 2012 Martin OK 22 Aug 2013 7:44 am Dear Robert, First of all, thank you for these outstanding videos. In conjunction with your excellent book, I have been thoroughly enjoying my forays into the homemade cocktail world (and so have my friends, incidentally). I was wondering what your thoughts were on pre-made simple syrups. I haven’t made my own yet, but have often used Monin sugar syrup. I find that this works well for some drinks, but they don’t deliver as nicely on the sours. Does this have to do with the ratios they employ? If you would have to use a pre-made simple syrup, which would you recommend?

Thank you again for all your informative and exciting videos. All the best from the UK - Martin Robert Hess 24 Aug 2013 11:43 pm Martin, Regarding “pre-made” simple syrup… the only time I use them is in those very rare cases where I can’t seem to find any sugar on hand. Simple syrup is SO easy to make, and you then have complete control over the sugar ratio so relying on some unknown ratio is not an issue. The standard simple syrup that most bars use is a plain 1-to-1 ratio. just fill a bottle half full with water, then fill the rest with sugar and give it a good solid shake for about 30 seconds. The level will settle down a bit, so add a little more water, then shake again for about 30 seconds or so. Now let it sit for a few minutes and use it as you wish. It might still be just a little cloudy, but that will diminish over the next few minutes. There is also the notion of “rich” simple syrup, which you have seen me use on the show a few times.

You can’t really use the cold water method here, but instead you put one cup of water into a saucepan, bring it to a simmer, add two cups of water, and stir until fully dissolved. Allow to cool, and you are ready to go. Then there is what is known as “rock candy” syrup. This I believe is usually a 4-to-1 ratio (1 cup water, 4 cups sugar) which you also need to do at a simmer. It takes a little longer to get fully dissolved, but you end up with a fairly dense sugar syrup. They call it “rock candy” because if once it is cooled you dangle a cotton string in it, the sugar will crystalize on the string and form a solid piece of sugar (aka. rock candy). -Robert Classic Cocktails in History: the Daiquiri | The Alcohol Professor Classic Cocktails in History: the Daiquiri Brian Petro | May 14, 2014 | _Featured , Cocktails | 3 Comments classic Daiquiri made with Cuban rum, ctsy Cocktailmarler Cuba has a very complex past.

Most of us only know of it as a Cold War foe of the United States, a very foreign country only a hundred miles away. It has been that way since Castro took power in the late 1950’s. First discovered by Christopher Columbus and claimed for Spain, this small island has been coveted by other countries for its entire history. It has a temperate climate, making it great for growing crops, and a location that was excellent for a stopping point after several months at sea. Spain was the primary owner of the island through most of its history, but it was not without a fight. The rich land attracted pirates and privateers from Britain and France to steal what treasures they could from Spanish ships. Once Spain allowed some flexibility in the colony’s trade, the floodgates opened and money came pouring into the coffers. They were filled primarily by two different crops; tobacco and sugar. Tobacco was very easy to process. Sugar was not. There was a complex system used to create sugar crystals, and the leftover molasses was a sticky mess to discard. This sets the backdrop for the creation of one of the finest cocktails in modern history: the Daiquiri.

During the turbulent struggle for naval supremacy, Spain and England traded blows around the edges of South America, the Caribbean, and anywhere there was water and unclaimed territory. Both sides used whatever means possible, including pirates and privateers, to gain an advantage in the resource rich Americas. The British were struggling to expand their foothold in the Americas; Spain was struggling to maintain the land they had, and the resources it was providing the ailing empire. The British were also struggling to stay sober on the seas. The sailors were provided a gallon of beer a day through a law passed in the 17th century. Due to the massive amount of beer they had to supply to a military force 4,500 miles away, a pint of rum was considered a fair substitute. It was easier to get, but far more potent. It was not until 1740 that someone was able to sober up the navy. Admiral Edward “Old Grog” Vernon ordered that the rum ration be mixed with water and citrus juice (usually limes) to dilute the potent spirit. This gave the English the edge of fighting a little more sober, and healthier.

It also is one of the earliest known instances of the combination of lime juice, water, and rum, the base of what would become a Daiquiri. Spain survived the encounters with Britain and held on to many of its American acquisitions for over a century, including Cuba, Puerto Rico, and other islands a little too close to home for us. It did not sit well with a United States eager to enforce the Monroe Doctrine, asking European powers to kindly stay on their own side of the world. The biggest of the conflicts caused by this was the Spanish-American War, and Cuba had a starring role to play. They were seeking independence from Spain, and Colonel Theodore Roosevelt advocated helping them achieve it. The U.S. landed troops on a beach named Daiquiri, just a short distance away from an iron mine in Santiago. This “splendid little war” allowed the United States to occupy Cuba and do what Spain had done for centuries before; profit from the vast resources of the island. One of the people making a healthy profit was Jennings Cox. He was one of the first iron miners on the island once it was safe, and generally credited with creating the original Daiquiri.

The story goes that while he was entertaining guests one night, he ran out of the gin everyone was enjoying. He went out and purchased the easiest liquor he could find, which was rum. Adding lemons, sugar, mineral water, and ice to the rum, he turned it into a punch for his guests. They loved it, and wanted to know what the name of it was. He did not have a name for it; it should have been called a rum sour according to the conventions of the day. Cox did not feel that was good enough for such a fine drink, so he named it for the nearby beach and called it Daiquiri. original handwritten recipe via Bacardi Jennings Cox’s Original Recipe (via Bacardi ) 6 Lemons 6 tsp./ 30 ml Sugar 6 c./ 1.4 l of Bacardi Rum 2 c./ .5 l of Mineral water Crushed ice Put all of the ingredients into a bowl and mix well. Add the ice after the mixture is stirred thoroughly. Ladle into cups and enjoy. If you read the original recipe, this serves six people. The combination of water, rum, sugar, and lemon was a combination well known to the natives of Cuba.

The general recipe was well known to bartenders in the form of a little ditty “One sour, two sweet, three strong, four weak”. Jennings Cox threw together a great cocktail on the fly, but it was a punch designed for multiple servings. American knowledge of the drink is often credited to Admiral Lucius W. Johnson, a US naval officer who visited Cuba and fell in love with it. He allegedly introduced it to the Army and Navy Club in Washington D.C. and the University Club in Baltimore. From there it started to spread, and as many bartenders are prone to do, there were some alterations made. While it was spreading and being altered in the United States, it was being refined by the bartenders of Cuba. The cocktail went from a punch to a single serving drink, and from being poured over ice to shaken with ice and strained into a chilled glass. The mineral water was removed as it was discovered that the melting and crushing of ice into the cocktail would provide the “weak” element to the cocktail and balance the flavors out. It was not until the 1930’s when the Daiquiri started to really step into the limelight, courtesy of two of the biggest writers of the era.

Very little is said about F. Scott Fitzgerald as it relates to the cocktail. He was the first to put it one of his novels; it had a brief cameo in This Side of Paradise, written in 1920. Volumes have been written about the other author most associated with the Daiquiri, Ernest Hemingway. He had a profound impact on not only the popularity of the cocktail, but even created his own variation on it. The Hemingway Daiquiri, or Papa Doble, was a variation of the Daiquiri he worked out while drinking at El Floridita . Hemingway was a diabetic, and the sugar did not agree with his system. To maintain the sweetness, he added grapefruit juice and maraschino liqueur. He also doubled the amount of rum in the cocktail (thus adding the doble to the name). He became linked to Cuba, and to the cocktails there.

He even wrote on the wall of La Bodeguita del Medio “My mojito in La Bodeguita, My Daiquiri in El Floridita.” Hemingway and El Floridita bar present day, Havana, ctsy Tony Hisget his thirst for alcohol made a few bars, and bartenders, famous in Cuba. 3 oz./90 ml of White rum 1 oz./30 ml of Lime juice .5 oz/ 15 ml of Grapefruit juice .25 oz/ 8 ml of Maraschino liqueur Chill a cocktail glass with ice or in a refrigerator. Pour all of the ingredients into a cocktail shaker over ice and shake gently. Strain into the chilled cocktail glass and enjoy. This cocktail can also be served in coupe. Hemingway also came at the beginning of a transitional time for the cocktail in Cuba. Constantino Ribalaigua Vert, the bartender of where the author was imbibing his Daiquiris, was adding a subtle change to the drink. In the 1930’s two products hit the general public that would change the Daiquiri for generations: the refrigerator and the blender.

Constantino, or “El Grande Constante” as he was known to some, was making the drink a little frostier. With a machine that could make or hold as much ice as you needed, Constantino was in the process of adding the ice back into the drink. It was crushed ice, not cubed as it was closer to Cox’s time, but the ice had returned. As the fame of the Daiquiri spread, it became harder and harder to keep up with the growing demand at bars all over. In 1938, Fred Waring rolled out a machine to help speed up the drink making process. It would pulverize the ice faster, making drinks with crushed ingredients easier to make. It was called the Waring Blender, and it either catapulted the cocktail to the next level or ruined it, depending on who you ask. (Most bartenders will probably go with ruined.) With the ability to purée any fruit, the lime flavored Daiquiri moved to banana, strawberry, mango, or any other flavor you could think of. The ability to crush as much ice as you could made the drink get bigger and bigger.

Over time, the delicately balanced cocktail turned into the off balance, sweet slurry we have come to expect. frozen daiquiri dispensers in Baton Rouge, LA, ctsy Corey Taratuta In the late 40’s and 50’s, a cultural predilection for tropical climates and foreign liquors pushed the popularity of the cocktail into the American psyche. After World War I, Prohibition, and World War II, the whiskey that Americans typically enjoyed in cocktails was in short supply. Rum and vodka became popular, and the Daiquiri rode that wave of popularity to enjoy the beach-staple status it enjoys today. It also brought on the boom of switching popular gin cocktails to vodka (vodka “left you breathless” after all) and the Tiki cocktail craze. As liquor masking heavy flavors became popular, so did the fruity and overly-sweet version of the Daiquiri. Like many other old standbys of the early 20th century, the three ingredient masterpiece became a thing of old men and an ancient era. Showing off the technology of the time is what people were looking for, and that frozen Daiquiri filled that niche.

The Daiquiri remained like that, frozen in its sweet tomb, until the hand-crafted cocktail boom of the 1990’s. The Nineties started the long return to hand crafted cocktails with fresh squeezed juices. Using liqueurs and bitters for flavor over processed sour mixes gave bartenders new options. Bottles of sour mix were replaced with plenty of lemons, limes, and sugar. Bars began to infuse their own spirits, create specialized simple syrups, and head back to the delightfully heady days of exploring the flavors inherent in the spirits. Old became new again, and there was an appreciation for what the bartenders of yore were creating with simple ingredients. The Daiquiri is still working to lose its sordid past as a party cocktail, much like the Martini and the Margarita. It is one of the elites in cocktail history. Many scholars and historians see it as one of the pillars of the cocktail world. It deserves that reputation. It is one of the few rum drinks that stands so tall in history (the Mai Tai being another one), and one of the few sours that has its own identity.

There has been some sort lime blossom, ctsy Prosthetic Head of variation of rum, lime, sugar, and water since it was the raw spirit rumbullion. It is also one of the few classic, old school cocktails that does not involve bitters (martinis were originally made with orange bitters). 1.5 oz./ 45 ml White Rum 1 oz./ 30 ml Simple syrup (I prefer a 1:1) .75 oz./ 23 ml Lime juice Chill a cocktail glass with ice or in a refrigerator. Pour all of the ingredients into a cocktail shaker over ice and shake gently. Strain into the chilled cocktail glass and enjoy. You may substitute 1 oz./30 ml of lemon juice if you have difficulty finding limes. With the current “limepocalypse” that is happening in the US, there are some interesting questions about this cocktail. Is it still a Daiquiri without the lime? Can you substitute? Like any good debate on how cocktails used to be made (Bring up how you feel an Old Fashioned should be made among a group of three or more bartenders. Go ahead.), there is an argument for making a TRUE Daiquiri with lemon juice.

The one Jennings Cox made (and wrote the recipe for) called for lemons, and that is considered by most to be the first use of the Americans landing at the pier at Daiquiri, ctsy James Burton name with the cocktail. The lemon blends into the cocktail more, taking away a little of the tartness the lime brings to the table. If you want to get more tartness, you are going to need to add extra lemon juice. Most recipes you will find for using lemon will call it a lemon Daiquiri. They will also call for that extra lemon we were discussing. Cuba was the epicenter for the creation of a cocktail that was an instant classic. The blending of lime, rum, and sugar was made to go together. It was concocted at a time when rum was relatively unknown, and Cuba was just starting to feel a little freedom. Before the US embargo in the 1950’s, tourists were flocking there for the cooling effect of a Daiquiri in warm tropical breezes while sitting on a beach and reading Across the River and Into the Trees . The Daiquiri is a perfect summer drink, and now is the perfect time to go out and rediscover it. Sharing is good for you!

About The Author brian_petro Brian Petro, a native of the great state of Ohio, found himself in the town of Dayton after graduating from the Cleveland Institute of Art. His path has wound through the design, education, and restaurant industries, all of them adding a little something to the overall flavor of his creative endeavors. The first time he stepped behind a bar, it felt like home. Ever since, he has absorbed all of the liquor knowledge he can find, from culture to history to recipes, and done his best to share what he knows with the world. Or, at least the readers of Dayton Most Metro, where he is the writer about all things cocktail. He also likes the word “Brilliant” too much and appreciates the beauty of winter more than most. Follow him @SmartGuyInATie. Daiquiri Cocktail History and Recipes | Primer A Guy's Guide To Growing Up Affordable style, self-development, how-tos, and apartment DIY for the aspiring gentleman. The Daiquiri: The Origins and Evolution of a Classic Rum Cocktail The Daiquiri has gotten a bad rap by chain restaurants slinging neon sugar shakes.

Over a hundred years old, the rum drink – the real Daiquiri - is a delicious cocktail perfect for summer. 10 July,2012By Christopher Buecheler / Photos By Andrew Snavely “The moment had arrived for a Daiquiri. It was a delicate compound; it elevated my contentment to an even higher pitch.”1 – Joseph Hergesheimer, San Cristobal de la Habana The Rum Daiquiri is a nearly perfect cocktail. It is simple, elegant, and as refreshing a summer drink as one could ask for. It resides – along with the Martini , the Manhattan, and a select handful of others – in the pantheon of drinks that perfectly reflect the spirit and character of their base liquors without introducing needless complexity or requiring excessive preparation. You can make a Daiquiri in mere minutes, with the most basic of bar ingredients, and with the first sip be transported to the warm, white-sand beaches of the Caribbean, most particularly those of Cuba, its birthplace.

Today, even in the midst of a global cocktail renaissance, there are countless bars and restaurants whose “Daiquiris” consist of artificial strawberry-flavored corn syrup, poured over crushed ice with a dash of bad rum, served up to drinkers more concerned with quantity than quality. While these drinks owe something – a very small something – to the existence of the “Hemingway Daiquiri,” I ask that you trust me: if your drink looks like it belongs on a table in the Malibu Barbie Dream House … it’s not the real thing. A real Daiquiri consists of white rum, lime juice, and simple syrup, shaken and strained into a chilled cocktail glass and garnished with a lime wedge. The resulting fizzy, foamy, off-white concoction is named for the town in which it was invented, and that invention happened by happy accident in 1896.2 The drink was created by Jennings Cox, an American engineer who managed the Cuban properties for two American companies (credit as co-creator is also often given to a Cuban engineer named Pagliuchi).

With important guests on the way, and finding himself without a source of gin – the genteel spirit at the time – Cox worried that they would not find the local tipple palatable if served neat. He added lime juice and sugar to the island’s pure cane rum, and a classic was born. This is not to say that the Daiquiri has sat unchanged since its birth more than a hundred years ago. In the days before Castro (particularly during prohibition), Cuba entertained a thriving bar scene and was home to many talented bartenders who helped to refine and perfect the cocktail. It was eventually brought to the United States by Admiral Lucius Johnson, and debuted at the Army and Navy Club in Washington, DC, where you can still find it to this day, served in its namesake cocktail lounge . While the less is said about the bastardization of the Daiquiri into the hot pink monstrosity served up at TGI Fridays across the country, the better, one modification does bear mention both because of its historical significance and because it’s actually a fine cocktail in its own right.

The aforementioned Hemingway Daiquiri, originally called simply Daiquiri #3, was developed by Constantino Ribailagua, the bartender at the El Florida Bar (aka the El Floridita). The writer Ernest Hemingway, who spent a good deal of his time in Cuba, helped make both the bar and the drink quite famous. The Hemingway Daiquiri is one of the rare cases where a bartender decided to add a bunch of stuff to an existing drink … and it worked. Marvelously. It brings grapefruit juice, Maraschino liqueur and shaved ice to the party, and there are two variations of the recipe, one which omits the simple syrup (Hemingway was a fan of drier drinks, in no small part due to diabetes-related sugar issues), and one which keeps it. In my recipe below, I’ve opted to split the difference and simply reduce it. Your own tastes may vary, and I encourage frequent and repeated experimentation! More than a hundred years old, the venerable Daiquiri has stood the test of time and deserves its place in the cocktail pantheon.

Below you’ll find recipes for the original, and the Hemingway variant, as well as my own humble entry into the field. It’s difficult to improve on perfection, but I’ve done my best, and I think my variation – The Ginger Daiquiri – keeps the spirit of the original while adding a refreshing spiciness. All three recipes call for white rum, and I recommend either Flor de Caña Extra Dry 4 Year Rum, or Denizen white rum, both of which are nicely priced at about sixteen dollars a bottle, and bring a lot more floral, vanilla and sugarcane notes to the drink than standard Bacardi or Cruzan white rums.3 The Classic Daiquiri Daiquiri Recipe - Absolut Drinks What ingredients do you have on hand?

Absolut Vodka (22) Absolut 100 Absolut Apeach Absolut Äpple Absolut Berri Açaí Absolut Cherrys Absolut Cilantro Absolut Citron Absolut Gräpe Absolut Hibiskus Absolut Honey Absolut Karnival Edition Absolut Kurant Absolut Mandrin Absolut Mango Absolut Pears Absolut Peppar Absolut Raspberri Absolut Ruby Red Absolut Texas Absolut Vanilia Absolut Vodka Absolut Wild Tea Other base spirits (67) Aged Brandy Aged Rum From Martinique Aged Rum of Cuban Type Aged Rum of Haitian Type Aged Rum of Jamaican Type Apple Flavored Vodka Apricot Brandy Aquavit Armagnac Barack Palinka Bison Grass Flavored Vodka Blackberry Brandy Bourbon Brandy Cachaca Canadian Whisky Cherry Flavored Vodka Citrus Rum Cognac Cranberry Flavored Vodka Cseresznye Palinka Dark Rum (aged) Dark Rum of Jamaican Type Dry Vermouth Eau de Vie Estate Rum Genever Gin Gin (old Tom) Grape Schnapps Honey Flavored Vodka Infused Vodka Irish Whiskey Level Vodka Light Rum Madeira Mal

ibu Rum Mango Rum Marsmallows Mescal Navy Rum Orange Flavored Brandy Orange Flavored Vodka Orange Rum Overproof Rum Peach Brandy Petals (edible) Pineapple Rum Pisco Plum Brandy Plymouth Fruit Cup Port, White Prune Eau de Vie Raspberry Rum Reposado Tequila Rum Banana Flavored Rum Cherry Flavored Rum of Haitian Type Rye Whiskey Sake Sambuca Sauterne Scotch Whisky Slivovitz Spiced Rum Tequila Blanco Vanilla Rum Other spirits (149) Absinthe Ale Almond Liqueur Amaretto Amaro Amontillado Sherry Anisette Aperol Applejack Apple Liqueur Aquavit Armagnac Banana Liqueur Barack Palinka Beer Benedictine Dom Bitter Bitters Blackberry Liqueur Black Currant Liqueur Black Raspberry Liqueur Blueberry Liqueur Blue Curacao Bourbon, Peach Flavored Brown Cacao Liqueur Butterscotch Schnapps Byrrh® Cachaca Calvados Campari Caperitif Chambord Champagne Cherry Liqueur Chocolate And Orange Liqueur Chocolate Bitters Chocolate Liqueur Cider Cider Hot Cinnamon Schnapps Liqueur Citrus Rum Cit

rus-vanilla Liqueur, Licor 43 Coconut Liqueur Cointreau Cordial Medoc Cranberry Liqueur Cream Liqueur Cream Rum Crème de Cassis Crème de Menthe, White Créme de Mure Crème de Peche Cseresznye Palinka Dark Cacao Liqueur Dry Vermouth Dubonnet Eau de Vie Egg Liqueur Elderflower Cordial Elderflower Liqueur Estate Rum Falernum Fernet Branca Frangelico Galliano Genever Ginger Liqueur Goldschlager Liqueur Grape Schnapps Green Apple Liqueur Green Chartreuse Green Curacao Green Mint Liqueur Hazelnut Liqueur Herbal Liqueur Honey Liqueur Italian Vermouth Kahlúa Kiwi Liqueur Kümmel Licor 43 Lillet Blanc Lime And Lemongrass Cordial Limoncello Lychee Liqueur Madeira Malibu Rum Mandarines Liqueur Mango Rum Maraschino Liqueur Melon Liqueur Mescal Noilly Prat Noisette Liqueur Orange Bitters Orange Curacao Orange Liqueur Orange Rum Parfait Amour Passionfruit Liqueur Pastis Peach Bitters

 Peach Liqueur Peach Schnapps Peppermint Schnapps Peychaud's bitters Pimms Cup No 1 Pineapple Liqueur Pineapple Rum Pisang Ambon Pisco Plymouth Fruit Cup Port, Red Port, White Prosecco Prune Eau de Vie Pumpkin Smash Raspberry Liqueur Raspberry Rum Red Food Coloring Red Vermouth Red Wine Rose Wine Rum Banana Flavored Rum Cherry Flavored Sake Sambuca Sauterne Sherry Slivovitz Sparkling Wine Stout Beer St.

Raphael Strawberry Liqueur Strega Swedish Punsch Tangerine Liqueur Tawny Port Triple Sec Vanilla Liqueur Vanilla Rum Vermouth, Sweet Violet Liqueur Whisky/Honey Liqueur White Cacao Liqueur White Chocolate Liqueur White Wine Williams Pear Liqueur Yellow Chartreuse Ingredients (85) Acerola Almond Avocado Balsamico Vinegar Basil Beef Consomme Boiling Water Brown sauce Brown Sugar Butter Cacao Bean Carrot Cashew nut Celery Celery Salt Cherry Tomato Chilean Hot Pepper Chocolate Chocolate Cookie Chocolate Sauce Cilantro Cinnamon Cinnamon Cane Cloves Cocktail Onion Coconut Cream Coffee Bean Cream of Coconut Crushed Ice Cucumber Double Espresso Earl Grey Tea Syrup Egg (yolk and white) Egg White Egg Yolk Espresso Flowers (edible) Gherkin Ginger Ginger (grated) Green Olive Ground Black Pepper Half And Half Honey Honey Syrup Horseradish Hot Sauce Ice Cream, Coffee Flavored Ice Cream, Orange Flavored Ice Cubes Jalapeno Lemon Curd Lemongrass Lemon Verbena Marsmallows Marzipan Milk Milk, Frozen In Cubes Mint Leaf mustard Nutmeg Orange Sorbet Paprika Petals (edible) Pink Peppers

 Pistachio Nut Rosemary Runny Honey Saffron Salt Sparkly grape Star Anise Sugar Cube (brown) Sugar Cube (white) Sugar, Superfine Swizzle Stick Tomato Vanilla Vanilla Ice Cream Wasabi Paste Water White Chocolate Stick Woodruff Syrup Worcestershire Sauce Yoghurt Mixers (124) Agave Nectar Apple Ice Tea Apple Juice Apple Juice, Fresh Pressed Apple Juice (hot) Apricot Juice Apricot Syrup Banana Puree Barley Water Bitter Lemon Blackberry Puree Blackberry Syrup Blood Orange Juice Blueberry Syrup Caramel Syrup Carrot Juice Chai Green Tea Syrup Cherry Juice Cherry Puree Cherry Syrup Cinnamon Spiced Rhubarb Puree Cinnamon Syrup Clamato Coconut Syrup Coconut water Coffee Coffee Cold Coffee, Mexican Coffee, Mocca Type Cola Cranberry Juice Cranberry Juice (hot) Cranberry/Raspberry Juice Cranberry Syrup Cream Cucumber Juice Elderflower Juice Espresso Coffee (cold) Gherkin Water Ginger Ale Ginger Beer Ginger Syrup Grapefruit Juice Grapefruit Soda Grape Juice Green Apple Syrup Green Banana Syrup Green Oolong Tea (hot) Green Tea Grenadine Guava Juice Guava Nectar Ice Tea Instant Coffee Gran

ule Jalapeno Simple Syrup Kiwi Puree Lemonade Lemon Iced Tea Lemon Juice Lemon-lime Soda Light Cranberry Juice Light Orange Juice Lime Cordial Lime Juice Lychee Juice Mango Juice Mango Nectar Mango Puree Maple Syrup Maracuyá Juice Mint Iced Tea Olive Juice Orange Flavored Tea (hot) Orange Flower Water Orange Juice Orange Soda Orgeat Almond Syrup Papaya Juice Passionfruit Juice Passionfruit Puré Passionfruit Syrup Peach and Caraway Syrup Peach Iced Tea Peach Nectar Peach Puree Peach Syrup Pear Juice Pear Puree Peppermint Syrup Pineapple Juice Pink Grapefruit Juice Pink Lemonade Concentrate (frozen) Plum Juice Pomegranate Juice Pomegranate Syrup Raspberry Juice Raspberry Puree Raspberry Soda Raspberry Syrup Regular Margarita Mix Rosewater Ruby Grapefruit Juice Saffron Sugar Syrup Simple Syrup Sloe Juice Soda Water Sour Mix Spicy Syrup Strawberry and Black Peppercorn Syrup Strawberry Juice Strawberry Puree Strawberry Syrup Syrup de Gomme Tamarind Juice Tea Tea (hot) Tomato Juice Tonic Water Vanilla Syrup Watermelon Juice White Chocolate Syrup White Cranberry Juice White Grape Juice White Peach Puree Fruits &

 Berries (45) Apple Apricot Banana Blackberry Black Currant Blood Orange / Red Grapefruit Blueberry Brazilian Cherry Carambola Cherry Cranberry Dates (fresh) Figs (fresh) Grape Grapefruit Green Lemon Honeydew Melon Jabuticaba Jackfruit Kiwi Kumquat Lemon Lime Lychee Mandarin Mango Maraschino Berry Melon Melons Mulberry Orange Papaya Passionfruit Peach Pear Pickled Cherry Pineapple Plum Pomegranate Seed Raisin Raspberry Raspberry/Blackberry Red Currant Strawberry Tangerine Selected ingredients: Rum Cocktails Summer - The New Age of Rum 27 Highly Ambitious Things to Do Before You Die The New Age of Rum There have never been quite so many ways to enjoy the spirit of summer.

So there's no reason to stop now. view gallery 08 Photos There have never been quite so many ways to enjoy the spirit of summer. So there's no reason to stop now. An update to an essential guide . More Hurricane Hurricane A New Orleans classic from Pat O'Briens, Hurricanes can often be a nasty yet delightful mix of powdered flavors mixed into booze and dumped into a Styrofoam cup. Thankfully, they've been helped along by some fancy cocktail bars, and I'm particularly fond of the one at the French-ish Brooklyn absinthe house Maison Premiere. 1 oz Appleton VX 1 oz passion fruit syrup Shake over ice and strain into a Hurricane glass full of ice (crushed is best). 01 Of 08 Creole Daiquiri Creole Daiquiri I found a beautiful version of this cocktail at Ciro's Speakeasy and Supper Club in Tampa, Florida — a wonderfully bizarre bar hidden at the back of an apartment building on the bay. Though it was a fuzzy evening, I've created a variation inspired by the deep, funky tang I downed in front of the bar's jellyfish tank at 1:30 a.m., amid whooping bartenders and shot-downing locals.

2 oz rhum agricole 3/4 oz lime juice 2 dashes Angostura bitters 1 Of 8 Hurricane A New Orleans classic from Pat O'Briens, Hurricanes can often be a nasty yet delightful mix of powdered flavors mixed into booze and dumped into a Styrofoam cup. Thankfully, they've been helped along by some fancy cocktail bars, and I'm particularly fond of the one at the French-ish Brooklyn absinthe house Maison Premiere. 1 oz Appleton VX 1 oz passion fruit syrup Shake over ice and strain into a Hurricane glass full of ice (crushed is best). 2 Of 8 Creole Daiquiri I found a beautiful version of this cocktail at Ciro's Speakeasy and Supper Club in Tampa, Florida — a wonderfully bizarre bar hidden at the back of an apartment building on the bay. Though it was a fuzzy evening, I've created a variation inspired by the deep, funky tang I downed in front of the bar's jellyfish tank at 1:30 a.m., amid whooping bartenders and shot-downing locals. 2 oz rhum agricole 3/4 oz lime juice 2 dashes Angostura bitters Shake all ingredients over ice.

Strain into a cocktail glass and garnish with a lime peel. Advertisement - Continue Reading Below 3 Of 8 Mai Tai This is a highly disputed and often poorly made classic. When mixed awesomely, however, it's awesome. For those in New York City, head straight to the basement of Lani Kai on Mondays for Brian Miller's weekly tiki party. Everything on the menu will be perfect, but start the night right with his downright addictive Mai Tai. You're guaranteed to leave the premises swaying. Here's my version. 2 oz rum (dark or gold or a combination of the two) 1 oz lime juice 1/4 oz orgeat 1/4 oz simple syrup Shake ingredients over ice and strain over ice into a double rocks glass or a Mai Tai glass. Garnish with several sprigs of fresh mint. 4 Of 8 Hemingway Daiquiri Ain't no secret Papa Hemingway loved the stuff. And after a few of his high-proof namesake daiquiris, one might be prone to bravado, but lest one forget oneself, hold tight to Hemingway's lesson for lushes: "Always do sober what you said you'd do drunk.

That will teach you to keep your mouth shut." 2 oz white rum 5 Of 8 Ti Punch Our in-house cocktail expert David Wondrich thinks the Ti Punch may be the new drink of summer . He told us so back in June, and we've been drinking them ever since. A funky mix of cane syrup, rhum agricole, and lime, Ti Punch can be considered the old-fashioned's quirky Caribbean cousin. 2 oz white Rhum Agricole Lime Cane syrup Mix together rhum, a splash of cane syrup, and the juice of a big lime wedge. Add ice and stir until cold. Garnish with a lime peel. 6 Of 8 Aged White Rums This year has seen a sea of aged white rum come to bar shelves. The best test for a white rum's mixability is a plain old daiquiri recipe. If it tastes just fine shaken with lime and sugar, put it on the shelf and use often. On the high end, Caliche ($25) from Puerto Rico is a good sipper or mixer.

Unlike most white rums, it's thrown into white oak casks and then made into a Solera (a process in which a bit of older rum is mixed in) to add an extra layer of complexity. In the middle, Brugal Especial Extra Dry ($20) is a blend of aged rums, also filtered to be crystal-clear and dry with a bit of green herb tartness that's perfect for a springy daiquiri. A mutt of a rum, Denizen ($16) is made in Trinidad from Angostura's aged and filtered spirit and then blended with 15 different Jamaican rums for a delightfully affordable and ideal mixing juice. Advertisement - Continue Reading Below Alcohol Encyclopedia: Spirits, Liquors, and Cocktail recipes Site Online 21/09/2011 Welcome CocktailsSpiritsLiquors.com is an encyclopedia on spirits and liquors , as well as on cocktails mixed and drunk all over the world. Born from the desire to provide both bartenders and consumers more information about the alcoholic beverages that accompany their nights, including good tips on how to mix the ingredients with each other. The service provided is totally free and everyone can help notifying us products or recipes not reviewed.

In the menu on the right are categorized all of the best known spirit brands in the world ( Distillates and Liquors with their sub-categories such as Vodka , Rum , Gin , Tequila , Whisky / Whiskey ...), with detailed descriptions of how they are made, and the characteristic visual and aromatic notes such as color, scent, taste and aftertaste (finish). In the category Cocktails you will find, both in alphabetical order and grouped by families, all the most particular drinks consumed in the clubs of the 7 seas, complete with recipes , photos and the bar supplies necessary to achieve them! Within the Glossary you can search the definitions of all the technical terms related to the world of alcohol and beverages in general, from raw materials from which spirits and liquors are born, to the processes and tools used to obtain them. If you already know the name of the spirit , liquor , brand, cocktail or technical term you want to look for, you can use the Search button at the top right.

Question: Which spirit is found in a daiquiri cocktail?
Answer: Rum